49 counties · Boom Town Index

Ohio

Avg BTI Score
55 / 100
Population
10.5M
+0.2% avg growth
National Rank
#21 of 51

State Overview

Ohio's economy in 2025-2026 is experiencing a period of rebalancing, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, energy, and life sciences sectors. Major investments, such as Intel's semiconductor plant in Central Ohio and Amgen's biopharmaceutical campus, are driving job creation and capital investment across the state. While the state saw a slight decline in overall employment in 2025, specific sectors like goods-producing and health care are expanding.

The housing market is characterized by affordability and tight inventory, particularly in metropolitan areas like Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton. Home prices are projected to appreciate modestly, with Columbus seeing consistent growth. State policy changes in 2025 addressed property tax reform and introduced new residential development programs, aiming to improve affordability and encourage housing production. However, migration data indicates a shift, with Ohio ranking lower in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, suggesting a net outflow of one-way customers.

Median Household Income
$67,934
State median across 49 counties
Median Home Value
$186,800
Income-to-home ratio: 0.35
Building Permits
31,264
Total residential permits
Natural Amenity
4.3 / 10
#42 of 49 · USDA scale

Ohio Counties

49 counties
Rank County BTI Score Safety Proj. Growth GDP Pop Growth Income Ratio Home Price Climate P/R
01 Geauga County 98 B +3.6% — 0.0% +7.0% 14.7x +5.3% -2.5 14x
02 Trumbull County 97 C +4.2% — -0.2% +2.5% 8.2x +7.3% -2.1 12x
03 Mahoning County 94 D +3.9% — -0.2% +2.5% 7.0x +6.1% -1.7 11x
04 Darke County 94 B- +3.7% — -0.1% -0.3% 9.1x +8.9% -3.3 18x
05 Erie County 91 B +3.6% — -0.5% +5.2% 7.9x +3.2% -0.9 9x
06 Portage County 89 B+ +3.6% — +0.3% +4.0% 10.6x +5.2% -2.2 12x
07 Huron County 86 B+ +3.2% — -0.2% +2.9% 8.2x +5.4% -3.1 10x
08 Pickaway County 84 B +3.0% — +1.2% +1.5% 16.1x +2.8% -2.2 21x
09 Wayne County 82 A +2.2% — -0.0% +2.5% 9.0x +3.9% -3.2 14x
10 Lucas County 81 D +3.1% — -0.2% +3.5% 5.6x +4.8% -0.9 12x
11 Clark County 80 C +2.9% — -0.2% +3.8% 9.5x +3.7% -2.0 12x
12 Columbiana County 78 B+ +1.7% — -0.5% -0.5% 10.5x +3.8% -0.2 17x
13 Stark County 76 C+ +3.1% — -0.0% +3.3% 7.7x +4.2% -2.5 14x
14 Hancock County 74 B +3.5% — -0.0% +4.9% 5.4x +3.5% -2.6 12x
15 Allen County 74 C +2.9% — -0.3% +3.3% 5.5x +5.8% -2.4 11x
16 Jefferson County 73 C+ +1.9% — -0.5% +3.6% 7.8x +1.8% -0.8 14x
17 Ashtabula County 72 D +3.2% — -0.2% +4.0% 10.7x +6.8% -0.9 16x
18 Washington County 72 B +2.4% — -0.6% +3.7% 7.0x +4.5% 0.2 18x
19 Ashland County 71 B +4.1% — -0.1% +7.5% 10.4x +4.8% -2.8 17x
20 Summit County 71 D +2.8% — -0.0% +0.8% 6.6x +3.9% -2.4 14x
21 Sandusky County 71 B+ +2.9% — +0.0% -0.3% 7.1x +4.7% -2.5 17x
22 Richland County 68 B- +3.7% — -0.0% +3.2% 8.0x +6.4% -2.9 15x
23 Cuyahoga County 67 F +3.0% — -0.3% +2.6% 4.5x +3.5% -0.6 11x
24 Medina County 54 A +3.0% — +0.3% +2.5% 13.8x +4.0% -3.2 13x
25 Miami County 51 B +2.4% — +0.7% +3.6% 10.5x +2.8% -2.3 14x
26 Fairfield County 50 B+ +1.2% — +1.3% +4.5% 18.2x +2.0% -0.2 15x
27 Greene County 50 B+ +2.3% — +0.7% +2.5% 7.3x +3.3% -2.0 13x
28 Knox County 50 B- +3.5% — +0.4% -0.1% 12.8x +4.9% -2.9 21x
29 Franklin County 43 D +1.0% — +0.9% +1.9% 6.4x +0.1% -2.4 16x
30 Ross County 42 B +2.8% — -0.3% +2.5% 7.7x +3.9% -1.1 16x
31 Warren County 42 A +1.9% — +1.5% +2.1% 12.2x +1.5% -1.1 15x
32 Wood County 42 B +2.0% — +0.2% +1.5% 6.9x +2.4% -2.8 12x
33 Butler County 40 B- +2.8% — +0.8% +0.5% 9.2x +3.4% -1.6 14x
34 Clermont County 40 B+ +1.5% — +0.6% +2.8% 14.9x +2.5% -0.1 15x
35 Licking County 37 B +1.4% — +0.8% +4.2% 10.8x +4.0% -0.6 12x
36 Lorain County 35 C+ +2.4% — +0.8% +3.8% 12.2x +4.8% -0.3 12x
37 Montgomery County 35 D +2.8% — +0.1% +2.7% 6.0x +3.1% -2.2 12x
38 Lake County 35 B+ +2.4% — +0.1% +3.8% 8.1x +3.3% -0.4 13x
39 Marion County 32 B- +1.8% — -0.2% +3.6% 7.7x +4.8% -3.9 15x
40 Scioto County 30 C +3.6% — -0.7% +2.1% 7.7x +6.4% -1.0 16x
41 Delaware County 25 A +1.8% — +2.6% +2.6% 13.2x +0.9% -1.6 22x
42 Tuscarawas County 24 B+ +2.2% — -0.2% +0.8% 8.6x +6.4% -0.3 17x
43 Seneca County 23 B- +2.9% — -0.2% +1.6% 8.9x +4.3% -3.4 15x
44 Lawrence County 19 C+ +1.7% — -1.0% +6.3% 11.7x +3.1% -1.1 14x
45 Belmont County 15 B+ +0.6% — -0.8% -2.4% 9.5x +2.4% 0.1 16x
46 Union County 12 B+ +2.1% — +3.1% +2.6% 8.4x +1.9% -3.5 17x
47 Muskingum County 10 B+ +1.0% — +0.0% +2.7% 8.1x +2.1% 0.4 15x
48 Hamilton County 7 D +1.0% — +0.3% +2.3% 5.0x +1.0% -1.4 14x
49 Athens County 2 B+ +1.6% — +0.3% +4.0% 10.5x +3.9% -0.0 14x

Capital Investment in Ohio

Tracked Projects · Public Records
$107.7B
Total tracked investment
25,510
Jobs announced
187
Projects across 45 counties

Where the money is going

Energy $48.6B 45%
Data Centers $46.3B 43%
Manufacturing $7.0B 6%
Commercial/Residential $2.8B 3%
Infrastructure $1.6B 2%
Industrial/Logistics $667M 1%

Top counties by investment

  1. 01 Scioto County $34.4B
    5 projects · 270 jobs
  2. 02 Greene County $14.3B
    5 projects · 1,100 jobs
  3. 03 Trumbull County $5.7B
    5 projects · 500 jobs
  4. 04 Warren County $5.5B
    6 projects · 2,525 jobs
  5. 05 Fairfield County $4.5B
    5 projects · 737 jobs
  6. 06 Mahoning County $4.3B
    6 projects · 284 jobs

Largest projects in Ohio

Project County Amount Status
Portsmouth Powered Land Project (Natural Gas Plant)
SB Energy (SoftBank subsidiary) · Energy
 Scioto County $33.0B Proposed
Project Hummingbird Data Center Campus
Essential Utilities & International Electric Power (IEP) · Data Centers · 1,000 jobs
 Greene County $10.0B Proposed
AWS Data Center (Xenia)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) · Data Centers · 100 jobs
 Greene County $4.0B Under Construction
Stargate AI Data Center Campus
OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank · Data Centers
 Trumbull County $3.6B Under Construction
Lordstown Data Center Campus (Stargate Project)
Bristolville 25 Developer LLC (in collaboration with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank Group Corp.) · Data Centers · 134 jobs
 Mahoning County $3.6B Proposed
Amazon Data Center
Amazon · Data Centers · 200 jobs
 Warren County $3.0B Planned
Ultium Cells Battery Cell Manufacturing Facility
Ultium Cells LLC (GM & LG Energy Solution joint venture) · Manufacturing · 2,200 jobs
 Warren County $2.3B Operating
Vantage Data Centers OH2 - Millersport Campus
Vantage Data Centers Management Company, LLC · Data Centers · 37 jobs
 Fairfield County $2.1B Planned
→ Methodology · How We Tracked $4T Across 858 Counties

Source: public records, corporate announcements, state EDC filings. Tracking projects with $25M+ in announced investment or 500+ jobs. Some figures are estimates where exact totals weren't disclosed.

Ohio shaded relief terrain map
SRTM 30m shaded relief
State Spotlight · 2026-04-29

Ohio's economy rebalances with manufacturing and infrastructure investments

Driving economic growth

Major capital investments are fueling growth in specific Ohio regions. Intel's semiconductor plant in New Albany and Amgen's biopharmaceutical campus near Columbus are creating thousands of jobs and substantial new payroll. Additionally, Centrus is expanding its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, adding jobs in southern Ohio's energy sector.

Housing market trends

Ohio's housing market is experiencing steady price appreciation, with forecasts of 2-4% growth in 2026 across key markets like Cincinnati and Dayton. Central Ohio, particularly the Columbus area, saw median home prices in the $315,000 to $320,000 range in early 2026, with moderate year-over-year increases. Inventory remains tight in major metros, contributing to buyer competition.

Migration patterns

Ohio experienced a significant drop in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, falling to 43rd from 14th in 2024, indicating a net loss of one-way customers. While the state attracted a net gain of over 1,000 people in 2023, primarily international migrants, domestic migration has been challenging. Columbus and its surrounding suburbs, such as Marysville and Delaware, continue to attract new residents.

Headwinds and risks

Ohio saw a decline in overall employment in 2025, with a loss of 5,600 jobs between December 2024 and December 2025, primarily in service sectors and federal government. The state's labor force participation rate also decreased. Outdated zoning codes and a shortage of attainably-priced homes continue to pressure the housing market.

Key facts

  • Ohio Department of Transportation is undertaking a record-breaking $3.4 billion construction season in 2026, including 977 new projects statewide. (Ohio Department of Transportation, March 2026)
  • Ohio enacted comprehensive property tax reform in December 2025, expected to deliver over $3 billion in relief to homeowners, with changes taking effect with 2026 tax bills. (Ohio REALTORS®, December 2025)
  • JobsOhio launched a Relocation Incentive in 2025 to attract STEM and experienced talent to the state, utilized by over 200 employers across all seven regions. (JobsOhio, January 2026)
  • The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is projected to average around 6% in 2026, down from approximately 7% at the start of 2025. (National Association of REALTORS®, January 2026)
  • Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus was ranked the best large employer in Ohio for 2026 by Forbes. (Forbes, February 2026)
Updated 2026-04-29 · grounded research
19 sources
  1. realwealth.com
  2. ohiosap.org
  3. jobsohio.com
  4. policymattersohio.org
  5. saukmortgagegroup.com
  6. rockfordhomes.com
  7. ritaboswellgroup.com
  8. statenews.org
  9. vorys.com
  10. ohiorealtors.org
  11. jdsupra.com
  12. mahoningmatters.com
  13. offerpad.com
  14. consumeraffairs.com
  15. youtube.com
  16. greaterohio.org
  17. ohio.gov
  18. ohiorealtors.org
  19. mahoningmatters.com

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